Egyptian man jailed for 'insulting' women on Facebook

Cairo, March 13: An Egyptian man has been sentenced to three years in jail for "insulting the women of Upper Egypt" and spreading false news on Facebook that threatened public peace.

According to dailynewsegypt.com, El-Sobky runs a satirical Facebook page called "Diary of a Crushed Husband".

During a recent interview with TV show host Khairy Ramadan on CBC channel, he said that most Egyptian women cheat on their husbands -- singling out women in Upper Egypt by claiming almost a third of them are unfaithful to their husbands.

Once the video clip went viral, people began to criticise El-Sobky on social media which also led to suspension of Ramadan's programme on CBC.

According to El-Sobky's lawyer, the verdict was expected because it was a case of public opinion but he is planning to file an appeal.

According to the report, the court was placed under high security prior to the arrival of El-Sobky after he received death threats on Facebook.

El-Sobky however backtracked on his claims following the uproar.

"He said he has only respect for the women of Upper Egypt because his mother is from Qena and he did not mean to insult them, claiming that his statement was taken out of context," the report quoted him as saying.